Happy the Hard Way
by Mingly
Summary: While Sakura waits for Syaoran to come back home, a pair of familiar travelers shows up. What happens when she becomes almost too attached to one of them?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa or any of its characters. They belong to Clamp. Only this plot is mine

A/N: I like crack pairings better. This is my first fanfiction so sorry if there are any errors or if the characters are OOC, plus I rushed through the end of this chapter. I don't really know how long this story will end up being but I'll try to finish it.

* * *

The hard wind tempted the pastel-colored flowers to sway back and forth. Panting, Sakura kept running through the meadow. Although she had absolutely no clue to where she was going, she knew what she wanted to accomplish. Sakura stopped and bent over to allow herself to take deep breaths. She jumped up when she heard a sudden rustle in the grass behind her.

Slowly, Sakura spun around to see the one she's been waiting for. Standing tall with brown hair and brown eyes, sure enough it was her Syaoran. For a moment, Sakura froze with happiness. Then she came sprinting to him with arms spread out.

"Syaoran!" Sakura shrieked, "I missed you so-"

But when she wrapped her arms around his figure, he just disintegrated with the wind. Sakura fell to her knees. For several months, she had waited for Syaoran, who was traveling along with Kurogane, Fay, and Mokona from world to world. Tears overflowed in her eyes as the scenery and herself faded into black.

Sakura opened her tired eyes to find herself lying in her own bed in her room. It was that dream again. Or maybe "nightmare" was more of an appropriate term. Either way, it wasn't going to help that this will continue to occur until Syaoran comes back. Sakura started having this dream a few weeks after him and the others left for yet another journey across dimensions.

Sighing, she sat up and stared down at the cream white sheets. Just like every day, her mornings were now slower. There was really no point to rush and get ready anymore. At first, Sakura didn't mind but now it's just excruciating with him gone. Not to mention there wasn't much to do. True, she had her brother, Touya, but being the king of Clow came some pretty important duties. All she would do was stand over the balcony in the palace and stare out at the ruins. Or if she thought the weather was nice, Sakura would carefully sneak out the palace and sit on one of the enormous rocks right outside. Whatever she did, they all lead to thinking about him. Syaoran to be specific. Sakura would spend countless seconds and even hours longing for his return or wondering what he could be doing. She would fantasize about the day when he would finally come home along with the others.

The problem was when would he come back? Day by day, Sakura grew ill of waiting. She hated the fact that he could arrive any moment now or in a year. Her eyes strained as the sunlight allowed itself into her room. It was supposed to be a warm, sunny day.

A sudden knock on the door destroyed Sakura's tired daze. "Come in," she quietly responded. The door opened to welcome Touya.

"Sorry, but I had to eat breakfast without you," Touya told her. "I have to attend a meeting all day today."

"Ok, thanks," Sakura said rubbing her eyes.

"What? Didn't get enough sleep?" Touya playfully smirked, "Well I have to go now. Don't do anything stupid for me." The door slammed shut leaving the rest of the room silent.

Lazily, Sakura climbed out of her bed and walked into her closet to change. She came out a few minutes later wearing her usual attire: white baggy clothes lined with a magenta pattern. Then she headed to the dining hall to eat the breakfast already prepared for her.

After breakfast, Sakura decided to visit her sitting spot on the rocks outside. Now that the sandstorm season was over, the weather was finally good enough to be outside. Before she could head out the entrance doors, Sakura quickly ran to her room to grab her cloak.

Sakura put the cloak over her head to shield her eyes from the bright sun. Since it was around noon, the sun's rays were starting to get stronger. It has been a brief two hours since Sakura came outside for the day. Like always, it was lonely without Syaoran. And the dream she had last night made her feel worse. It reminded her that he may never come back.

That thought alone made Sakura tear up a bit. Maybe he was on his way but something happened. Sakura wiped her tears off her cheek. No, she knew Syaoran was stronger than that. Plus, he had Kurogane and Fay with him, didn't he?

There was a small distortion in the sky that caused Sakura to stare up at it. It swirled around to form what looks like a small blob from the sky. This meant one thing. Someone was arriving from another dimension.

And it could mean another. Syaoran, Kurogane, Fay, and Mokona might be returning. Sakura took a few steps toward the "blob", but still held her distance, and eagerly waited to see if it was Syaoran and the others.

Finally, the blob popped to welcome Sakura the new visitors. Instead of the tall, brunette boy she was waiting to see, stood two pale figures adorned with dark cloaks and dark hair. One had friendly green eyes while the other had a moody violet.

"Subaru? Kamui?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the long and boring chapter. Not to mention it's so hard to keep Kamui in character yet not have be invisible. I will be gone all of next week so don't expect any updates soon.

**Edit 3/21/13**: So I haven't really gone back to continuing this fic. I reread and realized how much of a train wreck it actually is. For now, I'm just going to edit it and maybe I'll have the motivation to write new chapters. Ta ta for now!

* * *

"Long time no see," the green-eyed man named Subaru greeted. His welcoming smile complimented his greeting.

"Yeah what he said," the violet eyed Kamui mumbled. Unlike Subaru, he showed no sign of affection. Subaru elbowed him a little, enough to cause Kamui to flinch.

"Yes it has been long," Sakura said. It was hard to speak at all due to her disappointment of no Syaoran. She even thought it was just as bad as that dream.

"So you and the others are here in this world I see," Subaru added.

"Well yes, actually, this is my home country," Sakura replied. "But the others are continuing to travel." She grinded her teeth so she could hold back tears after quickly slipping out those last words.

"I see. So it's just you by yourself?"

To Sakura, that question hit her harder than a bullet. She gulped and still tried to hold back from crying. Instead of opening her mouth, she responded with a simple nod.

"I'm sorry. I know that must be painful for you," Subaru's smile faded and was replaced by a sympathetic expression. Kamui, on the other hand, didn't have any reaction what so ever.

If she could, Sakura would have told him how painful it was to be lonely and wait every single day for Syaoran to return. Head lowering, Sakura replied, "Well, I'm not completely alone. I have my brother but he can be busy sometimes. And there's his friend, Yukito, who's the high priest here." But Sakura knew well that Touya and Yukito did not make any difference. Syaoran was the only thing she needed. Sakura lowered her head until she was staring at the rocky texture below her. She blinked when she saw Kamui's foot tapping. Looking up, she saw that he had grown bored since he didn't contribute to the conversation. And Subaru still wore that same face when he last spoke. She realized that they were technically visitors or in her case, guests. Offering them to stay at the palace would break this awkward air around each other. "Hey we should go back to my palace. While you two are here in Clow, you can stay there."

Kamui crossed his arms, "Are you sure? We probably are only staying in this world for one night."

"Well why not?" Sakura replied, "Besides, it's about time for lunch and you two must be hungry. I can have lunch made for us." She felt more at ease now that the topic has been changed.

Subaru awkwardly smiled, scratched at his scalp, and said, "Well lunch sounds nice and all but-"

"In case you forgot, we're vampires," Kamui said crossing his arms, "unless you wouldn't mind spilling your blood for us." He glared straight into Sakura's eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized, blushing. How could she have forgotten? That these two beings were vampire twins.

"Well aside from that, "Subaru assured, "We'll be happy to stay at your residence." Sakura smiled knowing that her offer wasn't rejected.

"Only for one night, "Kamui reminded.

"But Kamui can't we stay longer?" Subaru asked. His eager eyes stared at his twin.

"No," the violet-eyed twin firmly argued. "He might catch up to us". Kamui continued to cross his arms.

"Just this once, please," Subaru begged. "Sakura is our friend. And besides. . ." He covered his mouth with his hand to conceal a giggle and whispered something into Kamui's ear. Sakura couldn't hear what he was telling him, but whatever it was, it sure made Kamui hiss and grind his teeth. Or at least that's what Sakura thought until she saw a faint blush on each of his cheeks.

"Fine," Kamui hissed, "But we can't stay that long." Subaru smiled upon hearing his victory.

Sakura giggled, "Ok! Follow me!" She then lead the two vampires off the giant rock and they began making their way to the palace.

Finally, the three arrived at the vast, dome shaped home. Sakura helped sneak them in through the front door and past the balcony. She knew how much her brother hated it when she would bring Syaoran. Although Touya was still at the meeting, Yukito was probably around. When Sakura made sure the coast was clear, they quietly started walking up the stairs. Each sudden noise startled Sakura but they continued up anyway.

When they reached the top, Sakura turned her head left and right to scan the hallway and make sure nobody was around. Sighing of relief, she started walking again down the long hall.

"Is there a reason why-?" Kamui began to ask.

"Shh!" Sakura hissed. The last time Sakura was caught sneaking with Syaoran, Touya made sure Sakura couldn't see him for a week. All it took was one small word. Since Kamui and Subaru didn't have anywhere else to stay, she couldn't afford to be caught now. The three remained quiet until Sakura stopped at a sienna colored door and held the intricately carved handle. "This is one of our guest rooms. You can sleep and relax in here." Then she turned the handle and opened the door. They all walked in and Sakura closed the door behind them.

"Thanks for letting us stay here," Subaru told Sakura.

"Yeah, thanks," Kamui monotonously said.

Sakura smiled. For once, she could truly smile even without Syaoran here. "You two are welcome. If you need anything just tell me."

"Well in that case," Kamui spoke up, "If we're going to be in this country then we're going to need clothes so we can blend in." He leaned against the white walls crossing his arms.

"Oh right!" Sakura said, "Just stay here I'll be right back." She dashed out of the guest room and down the hallway. The first place that came to her mind was Touya's room. They all seemed to be around the same size so his clothes should be able to fit them. Sakura picked up her as she took turns down the hall.

Panting, Sakura walked over to the big, red door at the end of the hall. She turned the handle cautiously as if it was burning and slid herself through the small space into his bedroom. Things so far were going smoothly.

"Sakura, you do an awful job at sneaking around."

Well she thought too soon.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Damn straight I'm back. Sorry this took longer to write; I completely forgot about this while I was away at camp and I sorta forgot how things were supposed to proceed in this chapter, except for Touya and Sakura's conversation. Plus I sorta forgot some events that happened in Tsubasa; I remember Touya saying something about Syaoran being "the one" for Sakura or whatever. And I ran out of inspiration so bear with me! Constructive criticism is always welcome~

* * *

The shock of Touya's presence in front of her slapped Sakura hard in the face. "Wait, how did you know," Sakura stuttered, "and what about the meeting? I thought it was supposed to be all day long." Hands on his hips, Touya gave Sakura another playful smirk. It was as if he was following her the entire time.

"The meeting went _way_ faster than expected," Touya smoothly said. "And next time try to be quieter although there was really no reason to sneak your friends in." Sakura raised her eyebrows. Something felt different about Touya. Or it could be a trap.

"But every time Syaoran comes, you made him to go back home," Sakura lowered her head. This probably was a trap and not only did she step in it, but now she's tangled in it. And knowing her own brother and not to mention the king of Clow, he was going to have things settled his way.

Touya heavily sighed. "Things were different back then." He walked over to where Sakura was standing and put a hand on her shoulder. "When I first met Syaoran, there was something about him that just kept bugging me. Because of it, I always kept myself at a distance from him. The real problem was that I didn't want to accept the fact that he was your destined one." He took one huge breath. "And then you lost your memories. Aside from hope, the only other thing I could depend on was him. I had to accept him as your destined one."

"So that's why you made a big deal out of him, "Sakura sulked. Destined one, huh? That name rang in Sakura's head and then tied itself around her heart and squeezed it so hard that it hurt. But no matter how hard it squeezed, it couldn't squeeze out the fact that Syaoran was gone. For now at least. Still, there was no telling when he would come back.

"You could say that," Touya said crossing his arms. He let out a small giggle. "So why are you in my room?"

Sakura mentally face-palmed herself. That's right; she was supposed to "borrow" clothes from Touya for Kamui and Subaru. Who knew how long they were waiting for her. "Well my friends are staying here for a bit and they need some clothes to blend in." She noticed that Touya's eyebrows slightly went up.

"So they're from another dimension? Boy, aren't you popular, "He sarcastically said as he headed toward his closet. Sakura watched her tall, black-haired brother walk out moments later carrying cloaks, pants, and shirts consisting of bold patterns. "Here," he dropped them in her extended arms.

"Thanks Touya," Sakura smiled and speed-walked out of the big, square room.

* * *

"How does it feel? Does it fit okay?" Sakura tilted her head and observed the way the twins fidgeted around after changing into Touya's clothes.

"It's a little big," Kamui murmured pulling the cobalt blue sleeves up to his wrists.

"But we'll get used to it," Subaru added and wore that soft smile on his pale face. "Are you sure it's okay with your brother that we can stay here?

"Of course! We talked it over," Sakura said.

"So we snuck in for nothing?" Kamui sighed. He was leaning against the white wall of the guest room wearing the loose clothes with black patterns bordering the hems.

"There was a little misunderstanding, but it's fine now!" Sakura assured looking into the moody violet orbs.

"So why did you sneak us in then?" Kamui raised his voice. He walked toward Subaru, who was sitting on the bed in the middle of the room.

"My brother used to hate Syaoran," Sakura's voice trembled. "He would always get mad when he found out that I snuck him in or if I snuck out to see him. But he was the only friend I had." And he was her destined one. That thought started ringing in Sakura's mind again. But it was the thought and image of Syaoran that made Sakura cry.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: School is starting in a couple of weeks for me so I'm trying to update this as much as I can. I know it's so out of Kamui's character to not stay by Subaru's side while he sleeps but hey, I gotta build his and Sakura's relationship. Review if you must~

Edit 6/5/2013: I've been trying to go back and edit previous chapters. For the past five months, I've put all my focus into sports and schoolwork so I didn't have the motivation to work on this. For you patient ones, chapter seven should be up sometime soon.

* * *

Every five minutes (or so it felt like), Sakura rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. She was just so restless tonight, which was quite rare for her since it only took a matter of seconds for her to fall asleep. Lying on her back, lying on her stomach, or lying on her side didn't work. Pillows or no pillows, bed sheets or no bed sheets, nothing seemed to do the trick.

Sakura gazed up at the ceiling when she turned back onto her back. Now, she was beginning to feel at ease, letting her thoughts drain out of her mind and sending her focus on the ceiling in the dark room. She stared and stared as if she was frozen in time. Her limbs were comfortably still and undisturbed. Slowly, Sakura shut her eyes took huge, slow breaths.

It just wasn't the same. Every time Sakura had trouble falling asleep, Syaoran was there for her. He was her antidote for whatever pain she had whether it was physical or mental. Without him, Sakura felt a wave of emptiness in this bedroom blackened by the night.

Sakura sat immediately up. She tried to convince herself to think of something else but she only thought of him more and more. The dream she has starts to replay in her head like a T.V. she seen in a few worlds. She kicked the white sheets off and slid off the bed. Quietly, Sakura walked out of her room into the dark hallway. With only so much thoughts swirling in her mind, she knew just the place to go.

After strained efforts of tip-toeing in the dark and past the closed doors, Sakura walked through the satin curtains.

But if weren't for that, she wouldn't have been able to meet Syaoran. Well, he was her destined one so of course they had to meet. She could only thank fate for having each other meet. Speaking of fate, if it was the only thing that could decide which worlds Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona would land in, how come they haven't returned yet?

Sakura only hoped fate would especially be kind this time.

"How long are you planning to stay here for?"

Sakura jumped up, shrieking upon hearing the mumbled voice. Heart pounding, she turned around to find Kamui leaning next to the balcony entrance. "Oh h-hello Kamui! Didn't know you were here," she timidly said.

"I've been here for a while," he sighed brushing his bangs away from his face.

"Can't sleep?" Sakura tilted her head.

"No, I can," he said with more of a chill in his voice, "I just chose not to."

"Why not?" Sakura asked just realizing how rude it sounded. "I'm sorry for asking."

Kamui stared at her for a brief moment and finally said, "I have to protect Subaru from that bastard. In case he arrives at night or something." He blinked. "Speaking of Subaru, I should probably-". He made an attempt to walk away but Sakura grabbed his hand just in time.

"Wait," Sakura pleaded, "Stay a little longer. You have a lot on your mind, maybe we can talk about it?"

His eyes widened. "You sure have a lot on your mind." Sakura stared at his face and let his hand slip out of hers. "It was kinda obvious when you told us that Syaoran and the others were still traveling."

Sakura looked down at her feet so Kamui couldn't see how more obvious her loneliness was if he saw her face. "I wish he could come back. It hurts so much knowing that he could come any moment now or maybe even never."

"Consider yourself lucky. At least he loves you back."

"Huh?"

He walked over next to Sakura and rested his elbows on the white marble and his head in his hands. "I mean, at least he loves you back the same way you love him." He said gazing at the night sky. Sakura felt her cheeks turn warm. "That way, you know he won't ever betray you. . ." His voice trailed off with the silenced night. But Sakura knew damn well that he was right. Syaoran would never betray her in any way and besides, he swore on his life that he would protect her. He has proven that to her several times during their journey.

Sakura gazed at his violet eyes. It was moments ago when it seemed like danger flashed in his eyes. They now looked. . .empty. And lonely. "What makes you say that?" She worriedly asked.

Kamui stood . "I don't understand. I never did. It makes zero sense how he could possibly let himself fall for _him._ In the end, it's _him _who's more valuable than I am to Subaru. I am nothing more than just his twin brother_. __  
_

Instinctively and subconsciously, Sakura held onto Kamui's hands and tangled her fingers with his. She felt them slightly shaking. His eyes changed back to the amethyst she was used. "I think you're a great brother, Kamui. It's great that you care and would do anything for your twin. Subaru is lucky to have someone like you as his brother." Sakura slightly smiled up at Kamui.

He turned away. "You think so?" Kamui asked softening his tone.

"Of course!"

"Thanks for understanding, Sakura."

"You're welcome! I'm going to bed now. You should too!" She looked down to see that she was still clinging onto his hands and gently look go. "For me." He stared blankly at her. "And Subaru," She quietly said.

Bringing his arms at his sides, Kamui replied, "I-I'll do it for Subaru."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks Kamui. Goodnight then, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Goodnight."

She made her way to her bedroom through the dark and quiet hallway. As she lied down in bed, Sakura could not help but think what Kamui previously told her. The thought of her being lucky because of Syaoran's loyalty sure was comforting. But the image of Kamui comes to mind and that was when Sakura remembered how not so lucky he was, despite having Subaru at his side.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Whoops, almost forgot about this. And school starts in about less than a week. This story may not be that long; probably about 20 chapters at the most. Besides, the plot won't move forward if it's just Sakura, Kamui, and Subaru chilling at the palace (It's more than just that but I'm not giving anymore away). And we have a guest star this chapter and the next one~ Sorry that this chap was crappy but I promise that the next one is much better.

And no, this isn't the same balcony from last chapter in the beginning.

Yes, I do support the theory that Kamui and Subaru are nobles or whatever.

* * *

"And if you need anything else, you can just tell me or Sakura," Touya said before turning around to walk away. "Oh, and if you do something to my sister, you'll regret it."

"Touya!" Sakura scolded. She shook a fist at him as she watched him walk away.

Touya insisted that he had to meet the twins. After all, Kamui and Subaru were temporarily staying at their palace. So he dragged Sakura out of bed (it was a long night) so she can retrieve the twins so they could meet Touya.

"He reminds me of you, Kamui," Subaru cheerfully said.

"Psshh please," Kamui folded his arms, "I'm not that weird." Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his remark. He turned to her to hear the rest of the laughter.

"Well, if you guys don't mind, there's something I like to show you," Sakura shyly said. Subaru nodded and so did Kamui. She led them across the hall to the stairs. Quietly, the three walked up the stairs. Sakura walked ahead over to a door and opened. Sunlight escaped from the opening as Sakura held the door open allowing the twins to enter. She closed the door after her when she walked through.

Sakura walked over to the marble railing. With this balcony standing several feet off the ground, the entire kingdom was visible. The houses and buildings looked close by yet still far. That's what amazed Sakura though. It reminded her of her people and their passion for their own land.

"This is . . . amazing," Subaru gasped. "I wouldn't have thought that we would be this high up." He was standing by the railing next to his other half, who was clinging onto his hand. "It's almost like our home, right Kamui?"

"Yes, it is," Kamui agreed.

"Our mother would get angry with us when we would sneak onto the castle's roof," Subaru giggled.

"I remember," Kamui smiled slightly. If Sakura didn't know Kamui's true feelings, she wouldn't have thought that his voice sounded so sad even though he was smiling. Actually, it sounded more desperate than sad.

But at the same time, Sakura envied Kamui. She was jealous of how they were both together. It was like a puzzle. Both pieces were together, but one needed another piece to be completed. Sakura brought the twins up here so Kamui could realize he should be lucky he still has Subaru. Unlike him, she doesn't have Syaoran by her side. True, she was still lucky that he loves her.

Sakura merely blinked. Speaking of him, Sakura has forgotten all about Syaoran up until now. It was like she was too busy worrying about someone else. Sakura eyed Kamui for a moment then mentally shook her head. No, she loved Syaoran and Syaoran only.

* * *

Wiping her eye, Sakura slowly walked across the main hall from the small balcony. For some reason, she thought that Kamui would be there again tonight. After she waited for what seemed to feel like an hour, Sakura decided to go to bed. Her footsteps echoed through the vast room as her night gown swayed against her thighs. They were so loud that they were clicking. Clicking? But Sakura was walking barefoot.

She stopped and turned around. There was no one there. Sakura began to shake out of fear and walked at a slower pace. This time, her footsteps, if they were hers, weren't clicking. Sakura's breathing increased as she stopped a second. Just in case, she checked behind her one more time so she can verify that she was by herself. This time, her eyes scanned the space behind her cautiously but there was no sign of anyone there. Sakura sighed and continued walking.

"Was it me you're looking for?" A deep, teasing voice called out.

Sakura gasped and spun around her heels. To her surprise, a tall man with raven-colored hair stood several feet in front of her wearing a long black cloak. His chilling amber eyes stared down at her. This man looked so familiar. No, it was because Sakura knew this man. She remembered him from Outo, how he was acquainted with Syaoran, and that his name was Seishirou.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Well, did ya miss me?

This chapter wasn't supposed to take this long to upload. Back in October, I was finishing it up, then the hard drive on my laptop broke and literally everything was erased. And I never really had the time until now to restart this. I'm not kidding when I say I'm busy.

Honestly, I liked this one better than the old one back in October. Except Seishirou is a hard character to pull off. He can't be too soft but he can't be just plain cruel either. Other than that, my writing has slightly improved. I submitted a short story to our school's literary magazine and it got in!

One more thing too. I'm not sure if I like how this story is going. One of the few reasons I actually wrote was so I can write this chapter. =^) But now I don't know if I want to finish it or not. I feel as though everything in this story is rushed.

So I'll shut up now. Silence your cell phones and enjoy the chapter! Like I promised months ago, it'll be a good one. And review review review! I'm always open for constructive criticism.

* * *

A combination of fear and chills ran through Sakura's body. It also kept her from running away so she just stood there paralyzed from fear.

Seishirou smiled slightly, which scared her even more. "I see that you're back at your home world. I wonder where Syaoran could be." Sakura flinched upon hearing his name. "Never mind him, there's a matter much more important." His lips turned back into a straight line and then he slowly walked toward Sakura, who tried to break away from her fear and stepped away. "No worries, I won't hurt you," he calmly told her, "as long as you be a good little girl and answer my questions."

He continued walking until he was directly facing Sakura. "Now tell me, where is Subaru?"

Sakura didn't respond. Only because she didn't know how to. Betraying Kamui and Subaru wasn't an option but she remembered what he did to Syaoran back in Outo. Even though Syaoran didn't technically die, Sakura knew what he was capable of doing.

"Don't be stubborn. I know he's here," Seishirou demanded. "I'll ask again. Where is he?

She still did not answer.

"Forgive me," Seishirou sighed. He instantly grasped Sakura by her neck and threw her across the room with great force.

Sakura shrieked as her body slammed into the wall and onto the floor. Her body ached with so much pain due to the impact, even her toes felt a bit tingly but what hurt most was her back. She struggled to breathe and not let her consciousness slip. It was hard to do so when she knew that it was her fault that Seishirou was going to catch up to them. Speaking of Seishirou, she looked up from the ground to see that he was about to stomp on her skull.

"I swear if you touch her again or my brother," a familiar voice growled, "I will tear you to fucking shreds!" Sakura squinted to see that it was Kamui. His nails were extended and his eyes resembled a cat's, only with much more anger. His body was positioned so that he could charge at Seishirou at any given moment.

"Please Kamui," said Seishirou with an annoyed tone. "I already wasted so much time with her and I don't have the time to spare with you."

"I won't let you take him away from me, you bastard!" Kamui sprung forward in an attempt to slash at Seishirou. Seishirou then grabbed his arm and threw him behind. After a harsh landing on the hard floor, Kamui stood right back up lunged back at him. Seishirou then defended himself with a kick powerful enough to knock Kamui straight to the floor, leaving him almost motion less. He then looked back over to Sakura, as if a light bulb lit in his head. She could've sworn that she saw him smirk slightly.

"Let's make a deal, Kamui," Seishirou said as he hovered a foot over one of Sakura's. "In exchange for Subaru, I will spare the girl's life. Now it wouldn't be fair if you had both, would it?"

If Sakura's heart didn't stop now then it would definitely stop later. She knew and understood how much Subaru meant to Kamui, but she did not know how valuable she was to him. Sakura didn't want to die, at least not before Syaoran came back. The only thing to do at this point was to not let selfishness take the best of her.

But for some reason, Sakura's heart couldn't help but crack a little when she heard and saw zero response from Kamui. Only a glare meant for Seishirou.

"I'm terribly sorry for this," she heard Seishirou say about a minute later right before he smashed his foot into hers. Sakura gasped. Never before had she felt a pain like this, it was like he set it on fire. Tears, from the physical pain, came rolling down her face.

Yet, Kamui seemed to remain without a response. Sakura thought that he must've been put in a tight spot. Tight enough where maybe doing nothing is the best way to go.

Sakura was definitely not prepared physically and mentally for Seishirou to break her other foot. More tears came in as her other foot throbbed and burned. She clenched her fists and took short breaths so she could keep her sanity. She didn't want Kamui to see how much pain she was actually in

"My Kamui, I don't remember you being this hesitant," Seishirou teased. "It's a simple 'yes or no' question. For every minute you don't answer, I will break one bone until all of them are broken. That reminds me, a minute has just past." He stomped on Sakura's leg.

Now this felt worse than her two feet combined. Sakura couldn't hold it any longer. She let out a bloodcurdling scream. The pain was so intense that Sakura had to gasp for a breath between her sobs as her legged throbbed.

This time Kamui stood up.

"Hurry up," Seishirou urged, "The next minute is almost up." He hovered his foot over Sakura's other leg.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Kamui hissed as he lunged straight at Seishirou. He kept swinging his arms at him. Seishirou on the other hand, had no trouble avoiding Kamui's attacks. He also had no trouble landing his attacks on Kamui as well.

It was all happening too fast. Not one but three of Sakura's bones were broken and now she has to witness Kamui getting hurt. The pain from her feet and leg still hasn't faded away. At this point, she was probably going to lose her sanity.

"Just get out . . .," Kamui kicked at Seishirou, ". . . OF MY LIFE!"

"Kamui stop!"

Sakura saw Subaru standing firm. Seishirou used this opportunity to punch Kamui and knock him back to the ground.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Seishirou said, relieved. "You don't know how much I've been wanting to see you, Subaru."

Subaru smiled and walked to where Seishirou was standing.

"SUBARU DON'T!"

Subaru ignored him.

"I missed you too."

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Sakura saw Seishirou whisper something into Subaru's ear. Of course she couldn't hear what they were saying. Whatever it was, Subaru nodded in agreement. Next thing she knew, they were already transporting out of this world.

Her mind was boiling. Her injuries throbbed. Everything was just unbearable to her. Worst of all, Syaoran couldn't be there for her. Her mind had a hard time processing all these thoughts. The pain from breaking her bones was taking away her sanity and eventually, her consciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**: Yay, it's here!

I deeply apologize for my little unannounced 5 month hiatus. I was concentrated mainly on sports and schoolwork so I didn't have the motivation to continue further. I owe those who waited patiently a cake or something.

* * *

With a blurred vision, Sakura found herself surrounded by the familiar white bed sheets on her bed. As she began to recollect the rest of her senses, her body started aching and her legs slightly throbbing under a tight force. Her slim fingers found themselves trapped in the auburn strands of hair as her mind tried to grasp the events prior to waking up.

The image of Seishirou holding Subaru like a rare jewel was the first to come to mind. Sakura remembered how Subaru fidgeted in his arms, only to be trapped in his grasp. As her fingers curl tighter in her hair, she shut –no, squeezed her eyes closed. She wanted to erase that picture out of her head. Subaru couldn't be saved and Sakura was unable to do anything. Kamui even got himself scrabbled up and injured while Sakura watched.

Now that she even thought about him, Sakura wondered if Kamui even stayed in Clow given the situation. She wouldn't have blamed him if he left. After all, his very twin brother was dragged into another dimension by the very man Kamui wished to avoid. She knew his concerns for his brother and his will to protect him.

Sakura whipped the bed sheets off only to find dusty white bandages securely wrapped around her legs. It only made her feel guiltier. A sharp hiss was released through her teeth as she pressed her hand around one leg. It most certainly wasn't the same pain she experienced when she woke up. It most certainly did not stop her from tearing away the strips of cloth clinging to her limbs. Instead of the milky-white skin Sakura was used to seeing, her skin was stained with bruises with various shades of indigo and violet. She thought that they were almost like Kamui's eyes: intimidating and full of pain, pain that took time to heal.

After a difficult attempt of sitting up, Sakura carefully inched herself to the edge of the bed. Cold feet met the cold floor. They throbbed and the sharp, burning pain kicked in when she finally stood up. Using the footboard as support, Sakura tried to take one step forward. Unfortunately for her though, she collapsed to the floor when her foot positioned itself on the ground. But Sakura wasn't ready to give up. She will not allow herself to be weak again. Sakura reached for the footboard to pull herself up.

"Princess!" Sakura turned to see Yukito standing through the doorway. "You shouldn't try to walk on your own!" He glided over and hoisted her up on her feet. "And you need to keep your bandages on. Please get back to your bed."

"I won't," Sakura kept her voice firm. "I am _not _going to let myself lie in bed and do nothing. So please," she inhaled deeply, "let me take care of myself now. Is Kamui still here?"

"He is. However," Yukito paused, "Your brother isn't too happy with what happened."

"It's not Kamui's fault."

"It isn't yours either." He placed his hand on her shoulder. Although his touch was gentle, it failed to assure Sakura.

"I could've fought back, but I didn't." _And I knew how much Kamui wanted to save Subaru but I couldn't do that either. _"Seishirou gave him the choice of handing Subaru in exchange for me but-"

"Sakura, anyone put in that position would be just as conflicted. You can't take all the blame for it." Sakura looked up at Yukito. He had a valid point so the only thing she could do was nod in agreement and defeat. "Sakura, I know that you're a truly kind girl. If anyone, I think it's Kamui that needs someone like you to open up and give him your support, especially at a time like now."

She gave him another nod. "I understand now. So please, if you don't mind, guide me to him."

"Are you sure? You can't even walk in your current state."

"When I see Kamui I want him know that I will be stronger. I think it'll crush him even more if he sees me here in bed."

Yukito's lips curved into a smile. "If that's what you wish then I will." He wrapped one arm around her thin waist while Sakura put her arm around his shoulders.

_I'm stronger now. I'm not helpless anymore. If only you could watch me now, Syaoran._

Sure enough, Yukito was right. Touya was in no way pleased. When Yukito arrived with Sakura before the door to the guest room, Touya nearly fainted when he saw _his _little sister trying to make her way through with two broken legs.

"Sakura! What are you even thinking? Your legs are broken – you can't walk! Don't even joke like that!" Touya raised a finger toward Sakura.

"I appreciate your concern Touya," Sakura said, "but it's not me who needs help this time. Please Touya, I'm asking you to let me through."

"Sakura, look what he did-"

"Touya," Touya gave a small gasp from hearing his own name from the high priest, "I know you are concerned for Sakura. She can take care of herself now, you should know that. Our guest here is ill with agony. It was her wish to come to him like this. The least I could do was respect her choice and guide her here."

Sighing, Touya crossed his arms and looked down to Sakura. "If it's your choice then I guess I can't change your mind. Go on, if that's what you think is best." Sakura thanked him and asked Yukito to help her over to the door. She then convinced him that she would be fine on her own.

The room was dark, except for the ray of sunlight shining through the glass of the windows. Kamui sat on the bed facing them with his head rested on his hands. The sheets were sprawled out in an unorganized matter and the pillows were on the ground and spread far apart from each other. It was like an animal came and tore the place up.

At this point, Sakura was still clinging onto the doorknob. She knew she couldn't walk so she decided to try the second best method of transportation: crawling. Slowly, she dropped herself to the floor, crawled her way to the bed, and pulled herself up. Sakura lay next to Kamui, who seemed to not take notice of her presence like a cold, marble statue.

"Kamui." He remained quiet. "I know you're upset about what happened."

His fingertips dug deeper into the skin.

"I want to start off by saying that I'm sorry." Sakura looked to him, "I'm sorry that I was in the way and holding you back. And that I couldn't do anything on my behalf."

Kamui sighed and shut his eyes. "I don't need your pity."

"I'm not giving you pity." Sakura reached for his hand. "I want to help you."

"Everything I have is gone," Kamui shook his hand away from Sakura's, "So don't concern yourself with me."

"But I am though," she protested, "while I can't know exactly how you're feeling; there was a time where I thought I had lost everything as well." The memory of Syaoran looking down at her with one blue and one brown eye, which both lacked life in them, flashes in her mind. She remembers how she gripped onto his blood-stained hand not wanting to let go and the tears flowing out of her eyes as she watched him walk away without a moment of hesitation. "And no one should have to feel that pain."

"Sakura, look what happened to you. Stop acting like it isn't my fault." Kamui buried his face in his hands.

"He put you in a tough position. I don't have any reason to blame you." Sakura took Kamui's once again and embraced it with her own. His skin felt as cold as ice just waiting to be melted. "You can't stay like this forever. I'm sure Subaru would be just as upset if he saw you like this" – his hand twitched upon hearing his twin's name – "so just because someone precious to you was taken away from you doesn't mean all hope is gone. You did nothing wrong. You were just trying to protect Subaru like you always have been."

Kamui remained silent yet again. A light gasp escaped Sakura's lips when she felt the now slightly warm fingers curl around her own. "I just was thinking. That high priest holds a lot of magic."

Sakura tilted her head in curiosity. "What about it?"

"I need to see him. So that I can see the Dimensional Witch." Kamui sat up. "I have a request to make."


End file.
